shidoburrito's Reviews (1.54k)

I only got so far when much more enticing books arrived on my desk. Sorry "Team Human" I may never pick you back up. You just didn't hold my interest enough.

Not only was this book recommended by a fellow friend and Goodreads user, I needed something to read of Shusterman as I eagerly awaited the release of "UnWholly". I super-loved "Unwind" so much. This book series, also by Shusterman, was also unique and a fun read, but what started off great kinda just took a turn for silly and ridiculous. This is a story about two teens dying in a car wreck and getting knocked off course away from the light, ending up in a sort of limbo for children. It's a dark plot and it starts off really great, and the theme of "skinjacking" or possession was also a creepy twist. So why are they fighting a pirate who sounds like Sloth from the Goonies who strings up children from their feet to "chime" them? No one feels pain in this limbo. Another strange turn was when two of the main characters get sealed inside a pickle barrel for a couple weeks. Uh, okay. Anyway, it was a brilliant idea, and it does play out pretty nicely, but the dark vibe I got from it at first was ruined by too many juvenile and goofy happenings. It ended on a note that I can accept and not feel I have to read any more in the series. Oh well, on to "UnWholly"!

"A Monster Calls" is more of a work of art and a tale to be told rather than a novel or a book. It's a quick read, but so much is packed into the pages that you're left a bit stunned, teary-eyed, but applauding this book for telling its tale.

Well whattya know, this book was pretty snazzy! I judged the cover too harshly, since it looks like your basic, teen, occult romance novel. Occult? Not really. It's a time travel romance! Time travel and spies! And the romance doesn't involve the annoying love-triangle. Nope. One girl, multiple time lines, and her life is in danger in the time line Jackson can't jump back to. Instead he's stuck in 2007 when his girlfriend hadn't met him yet, but he's starting to learn more about his abilities and his Dad's true identity... I can't wait for the next one!

I really loved all the dragon parts. The dragons were majestic, quirky, and fun! The people...well, I guess they were okay, but I couldn't get into Creel's character. I totally loved how she used her inspiration from Shardas's stained glass windows in her embroidery. As an artist, I loved the imagery in that. Creel's character was odd for me. She seemed a bit cliche, and also very juvenile for 16. This book is shelved in the juvenile section at my library, and the writing style is definitely a good read for tweens. So why doesn't the main character's age reflect that? For romance purposes with Luka? I dunno. Also, Amalia was a very predictable villain. I didn't really HATE her, I was mostly just annoyed by her. Okay, I feel I'm giving more abuse to the book in this review than it deserves. It really was a cute, fantasy book about dragons that dragon lovers of all ages can enjoy, but I won't go so far as to say it's a classic or anywhere near Patricia C. Wrede's Dealing with Dragons series.

Yup, this one made me cry too. I didn't like how the chapters were different Marvel characters, some including views on his death, some not. Maybe if I followed the other Ultimate stories better I would have liked it more.

Well, it certainly made ME cry!

So, what's a person to read when they want Hunger Games-like action, with an all male cast like Lord of the Flies or The Knife of Never Letting Go? The Maze Runner! Yup. Young boys trapped in the middle of a maze, minus the conch. Tracker Jacker-esque creations that have needles and induce hallucinations. The sudden introduction of a female into a community of all males, creating much confusion. I compare these elements to books that I really like, and they go together well, because I honestly loved this book! It's less of an accusation than it is a nod of gratitude for combining similar elements into a fast-paced book.

So I read through this and loved it. It wasn't until I finished the book that I read the author bio and learned that she had written another book that I loved called "Draw the Dark". Ilsa Bick just has a writing style that I enjoy. It's super suspenseful, but the characters are always believable and the story lines run along the lines of supernatural and sci-fi that steps into "this could be believable". Also, I will read a zombie book if it's good and I'm in the mood, and this book borders on zombie fiction, but not quite. I like how the author makes up a somewhat believable scientific exlpanation as to why only people over 12 and under 55 are affected by the EMPs. Also, there is blood, guts and gore! I don't mind much, but some readers might. The characters were great, and even though the author started leaning towards the dreaded teen-book-love-triangle towards the back of the book, it was no where near as annoying as it could have been. Can't wait for the sequel, because the ending will really leave you hanging!